Calls for schools to address suicide prevention

Suicide Prevention Australia says there is no evidence that talking about suicude in a non-sensational way can put people at risk

file photo: www.sxc.hu

There are fresh calls for a suicide prevention program to be included as part of the new national curriculum in schools.

Fears of sparking copycat actions and a certain stigma surrounding it means suicide is a subject not often broached.

But the public health advocacy group Suicide Prevention Australia says there is no evidence that talking about it in a non-sensational way can put people at risk.

Dr Martin Harris, who is on the board of Suicide Prevention Australia, says a suicide prevention program should be considered as part of the new national curriculum.

"I think it ought not to be the prevail of a particular teacher, but it ought to be a program which is embraced in a robust way by a school when they think they're ready to do it," he said.

Mr Harris says mental health experts could prepare teachers on how to broach the subject in schools.

"I think for us to be saying, 'well, it's not my problem', increases the risk of it being isolated and for it to be stigmatised," he said.

"I think it's high time the community took off the blinkers and looked more carefully about what they can and can't do."

But Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, a child and adolescent psychologist, has dismissed calls for a suicide prevention program in schools.

"We've adopted a policy for as long as I can remember, that basically says let's talk about suicide in terms of what leads up to it, which of course is by and large mental health problems; so suicide is the outcome of what happens when you don't treat it," he said.

"My view has been that we've been doing that very successfully for the last 15 years or so - the suicide rate's come down. I see no reason at all why we should change our policy and I would urge schools to stick to their original idea and ignore the advice from Suicide Prevention Australia."

Mary Bluett, deputy president of the Australian Education Union, says some schools have already come under fire for raising the issue of suicide with students.

"In Victoria just a few weeks ago a secondary school came under a lot of pressure about raising this very issue in relation to bullying," she said.

"I think there is a sense that some parts of the media are very quick to criticise schools when they are dealing with very sensitive and real issues, and ironic in some ways that, so soon on the brouhaha around that, we have this far more reasoned, rational call for schools to play a role in tackling what is a very serious issue."

Ms Bluett says she is not against the idea in principle of suicide prevention being included in the curriculum "provided there is professional development and we look at our increasingly crowded curriculum to make sure there's room enough to teach it".

The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority said in a statement that the development of the health and PE aspects of the national curriculum is expected to start later this year.

The authority says it expects there will be a focus on the development of positive mental health behaviours in young people.

If you are concerned about the issues raised, help is available at Lifeline on 13 11 14 or for young people under the age of 25 at Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.